zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

The Chronometer status of a mechanial watch really is in no way comparable to quartz watches. And it certainly does NOT mean the quartz version of the Seamaster is inferior to the mechanical version.

A "Chronometer" certification is an OPTIONAL test that can be performed on a watch to prove that it is capable of acceptable accuracy -- based on standards set many decades ago. It was created as a way of certifying which MECHANICAL watches could meet a preferred level of performance. It was established long before quartz watches existed -- back in a time where the quality of performance of mechanical watches was much more variable than it is today. Thanks to modern mass production, quality control and testing, most modern mechanical watches can easily pass the COSC test, too.

Pretty much any quartz watch -- even dime store quartz watches -- can easily exceed the COSC test requirements for a mechanical watch, so it is a total waste of time and money to have a quartz watch certified to meet those specs.

There is now a different, much more extreme Chronometer certification for quartz watches. But almost no watchmakers bothers to have quartz watches tested this way, as hardly anyone needs the extreme accuracy required under the QUARTZ CHRONOMETER specification.

For more info, read the article on ACCURACY in the OWNER'S ZONE here on Chronocentric.